2 still missing in offshore explosion

GULF OF MEXICO - In this handout image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, commercial vessels spray water to extinguish a platform fire onboard West Delta 32 November 16, 2012 in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 20 miles offshore of Grand Isle, Lousiana. The Coast Guard was searching for two missing workers while four others were critically injured following the fire, which published reports say was sparked by workers using a torch to cut an oil line. (Photo by U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images) less

GULF OF MEXICO - In this handout image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, commercial vessels spray water to extinguish a platform fire onboard West Delta 32 November 16, 2012 in the Gulf of Mexico approximately ... more

Photo: U.S. Coast Guard, Handout

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Black Elk Energy has its headquarters on the Katy Freeway. The company owns the oil platform that burned Friday in the Gulf of Mexico.

Black Elk Energy has its headquarters on the Katy Freeway. The company owns the oil platform that burned Friday in the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo: Cody Duty, Staff

2 still missing in offshore explosion

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The Coast Guard continued searching Friday for two people missing after an oil platform exploded in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, just one day after British oil company BP agreed to pay a record $4.5 billion to settle criminal and securities charges related to the 2010 oil rig explosion in the Gulf.

But despite reports of a small sheen of oil, there was no major spill - the Coast Guard reported that all seven wells connected to the production platform had been shut in - and few other similarities to the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Still, critics of the industry responded quickly.

"The problem in the industry is one that's not unique to BP," said lawyer Brent Coon, who is representing claimants in the civil case against BP over the spill and also led the litigation involving the 2005 BP refinery explosion in Texas City. "It is an ongoing and serious problem. There's a lack of government regulation and oversight and an unnecessary level of risk-taking."

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, which oversees offshore drilling, reported that 71 fires and explosions previously had been reported this year in the Gulf of Mexico.

One fatality and 141 injuries had been reported for the year in the Gulf.

"The fact that people are reported to be fatally injured or missing, the fact that a number of folks are hospitalized, the fact that it involves, as reported, a maintenance procedure on a platform with hazardous materials present - all of those speak to the seriousness of the incident," said Daniel Horowitz, managing director of the Chemical Safety Board. "We do regard this as a very serious incident."

He said the board would request documents from Black Elk in order to gain more information.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement had inspectors at the scene, as did the Coast Guard.

Black Elk CEO John Hoffman said his company is cooperating, but that its first priority is the missing and injured.

Hope for the missing

"Our focus really is on the two missing and making sure that those that were injured are being taken care of and those that were on location that are most likely shaken, taking care of them and their families," he said. "Once we get past that, we'll begin the task of the investigation and trying to understand how could this have occurred."

Friday afternoon, he still held out hope that the missing workers had been transported on another company's vessel and were simply un-accounted for.

"Hopefully, we will find they were transported in to the shore," he said.

Taslin Alfonzo, a spokeswoman for West Jefferson Medical Center outside New Orleans, said four men were brought to the hospital in critical condition by helicopter. Two were transported to a burn center in Baton Rouge, and the other two were to be transported later Friday.

All four had extensive second- and third-degree burns to large portions of their bodies, Alfonzo said.

Hoffman said two of the other injured workers had been released from the hospital Friday afternoon.

Hoffman said all were contract construction workers; none worked for Black Elk.

Under investigation

The cause of the explosion remained under investigation, but Hoffman said it appeared the fire started when workers were cutting a line on the platform, located about 20 miles southeast of Grand Isle, La.

The cutting apparently ignited wet oil vapors, he said.

Black Elk, a five-year old independent oil and gas company, has 125 employees and recently announced the launch of a major drilling program in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Coast Guard's Hickey said workers on the platform came from Wood Group and Grand Isle Shipyard. A representative of Wood Group said all of its workers are accounted for. A spokeswoman for the shipyard said it would have no comment.